ELECTRIFYING SOIL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 8

ELECTRIFYING SOIL

HOW RUSSIANS AID GROWTH O.C. CHRISTCHURCH, this day. A suggestion that inquiries should be made about Russian experiments in the electrification of the soil to influence plant growth was made at the meeting of the Ashburton Electric Power Board by Mr. H. J. Crothers. He said it had been reported that fruit was being ripened in Russia at low temperatures in the off season. In view of the interest of the Russian Government in the electric tractor invented by the board's engineer-secretary, Mr. H. G. Kemp, Mr. Crothers thought that Mr. Kemp might make inquiries about electrification of the soil in Russia. Because of irrigation in the Ashburton County it might have great possibilities.

Mr. Kemp said he received information on that and other subjects in journals- from Russia, but the difficulty was to get the articles translated into English. He added that heating the soil by electricity had been done for some time, but it was usually confined to hot-houses. It would be , difficult to apply its use to extensive areas.

The chairman, Mr. E. F. Nicoll, and Mr. Kemp were requested to ask the Russian Government to have some of its publications relating to the use of electricity in agricultural development printed in English.